KirstyF
Member
Hi All
Just looking to get prepped up in advance of new tank arriving and have a query re Micro's.
I've found Macro dry salts that I can mix at home (NPK - KN03, KH2P04, K2S04) and the prices are not so bad but creating a DIY Micro mix is a bit more complex. I've therefore been looking at CSM+B and can add Magnesium if needed. (My water is hard at around 14.5GH, so I'm assuming that Calcium is unlikely to be an issue but unfortunately my on-line water report does not specify Mg or Ca levels so no way of knowing what that GH is made up of) I'll have to monitor and see how that goes.
This will be my first tank since moving to this area so no prior experience of the water and no testing completed as yet.
I've found one place in the UK that sells CSM+B in 10g bags which yield 0.015PPM Fe when diluted into a 500ml solution and dosed at 1ml per 100L. (£4 per bag)
Ingredient info below:
Fe – 7,80%, Mn- 2,00%, B – 1,40%,
Zn- 0,40%, Cu – 0,10%, Mo – 0,06%
E 202 & E 300
EDTA Chelated
My new tank will be 727L (when empty)
or 192 US gallons
or 160 imperial gallons
By my calculations, to hit 0.5ppm of Fe pw (EI recommended) I would need to use 33.33ml per 100L, which is 242.3ml/3 doses per wk = 80.77ml per dose. (or 80ml for ease)
Therefore 10g of CSM+B will give me approx 6 doses at a cost of 67p per dose.
Alternatively I can pay shocking import charges and wait a month and get Plantex CSM+B from NilocG in North America which is sold in 1lb bags (only £13:00/$18:00 for the product but £35/$47 for shipping)
Ingredient Info below:
Total magnesium(water soluble chelated mg) 1.5%
Copper(chelated) 0.1%
Iron (chelated) 7.0%
Manganese(chelated) 2.0%
Molybdenum. 0.06%
Zinc(chelated) 0.40%
Boron 0.8%
EDTA – minimum content 65.4%
Dosing states that 1/8th tsp into 10 gallons will add 0.5ppm fe
I would need 19 x 1/8th tsp/3 doses pw = 6.33 x 1/8th tsp (lets say 6 for ease) per dose
There are 768 x 1/8th tsp in 1lb/6 = 128 doses
Cost per 1lb with shipping = £48.00
Cost per dose = 37.5p
My short questions, after these long explanations are:
Can I add up?
which (in your opinion) would be the best Micro option of the two above (or they close enough that it doesn't really matter)?
Anyone know of any other good options for dry trace, inside/outside the UK?
Does anyone know any UK suppliers of CSM+B that sell in larger (better value) quantities so that I don't have to ship in from North America?
What's everybody else in the UK using for large tanks?
Many thanks for your replies
Just looking to get prepped up in advance of new tank arriving and have a query re Micro's.
I've found Macro dry salts that I can mix at home (NPK - KN03, KH2P04, K2S04) and the prices are not so bad but creating a DIY Micro mix is a bit more complex. I've therefore been looking at CSM+B and can add Magnesium if needed. (My water is hard at around 14.5GH, so I'm assuming that Calcium is unlikely to be an issue but unfortunately my on-line water report does not specify Mg or Ca levels so no way of knowing what that GH is made up of) I'll have to monitor and see how that goes.
This will be my first tank since moving to this area so no prior experience of the water and no testing completed as yet.
I've found one place in the UK that sells CSM+B in 10g bags which yield 0.015PPM Fe when diluted into a 500ml solution and dosed at 1ml per 100L. (£4 per bag)
Ingredient info below:
Fe – 7,80%, Mn- 2,00%, B – 1,40%,
Zn- 0,40%, Cu – 0,10%, Mo – 0,06%
E 202 & E 300
EDTA Chelated
My new tank will be 727L (when empty)
or 192 US gallons
or 160 imperial gallons
By my calculations, to hit 0.5ppm of Fe pw (EI recommended) I would need to use 33.33ml per 100L, which is 242.3ml/3 doses per wk = 80.77ml per dose. (or 80ml for ease)
Therefore 10g of CSM+B will give me approx 6 doses at a cost of 67p per dose.
Alternatively I can pay shocking import charges and wait a month and get Plantex CSM+B from NilocG in North America which is sold in 1lb bags (only £13:00/$18:00 for the product but £35/$47 for shipping)
Ingredient Info below:
Total magnesium(water soluble chelated mg) 1.5%
Copper(chelated) 0.1%
Iron (chelated) 7.0%
Manganese(chelated) 2.0%
Molybdenum. 0.06%
Zinc(chelated) 0.40%
Boron 0.8%
EDTA – minimum content 65.4%
Dosing states that 1/8th tsp into 10 gallons will add 0.5ppm fe
I would need 19 x 1/8th tsp/3 doses pw = 6.33 x 1/8th tsp (lets say 6 for ease) per dose
There are 768 x 1/8th tsp in 1lb/6 = 128 doses
Cost per 1lb with shipping = £48.00
Cost per dose = 37.5p
My short questions, after these long explanations are:
Can I add up?
which (in your opinion) would be the best Micro option of the two above (or they close enough that it doesn't really matter)?
Anyone know of any other good options for dry trace, inside/outside the UK?
Does anyone know any UK suppliers of CSM+B that sell in larger (better value) quantities so that I don't have to ship in from North America?
What's everybody else in the UK using for large tanks?
Many thanks for your replies